EghtesadOnline: During the first half of the current fiscal that started in March, motorcyclists and pedestrians comprised close to 80% of road accident deaths, the High Council for Coordination of Urban Traffic reported.

Based on the statistics released by the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization, road mishaps cut short the lives of 8,841 people in the six months to Sept. 22. More than 7,000 killed in the road crashes were motorcyclists and pedestrians, ISNA reported.

According to Traffic Police, sleep-deprivation (fatigue), speeding, overtaking from the wrong side, running a red light, talking on the cell phone, text messaging and munching behind the wheel are the most serious driving violations leading to disaster on the road.

Motorcyclists and their dangerous driving habits for long have endangered the lives of pedestrians and themselves. Chairman of the high council, Mehdi Jamalinejad, says that unsafe driving and dangerous riding habits plus carrying oversized load on motorbikes and the near permanent nuisance of driving on sidewalks are among the main reasons behind the high fatality rates, Financial Tribune reported.

Motorbikes used for moving goods and passengers for long have been an irritant to pedestrians of all types as the conceited motorcyclists make a mockery of traffic rules on a daily basis and get away with it.

Jamalinejad said, “By enhancing the quality of the roads and spreading public awareness about traffic safety, the fatalities can be reduced.”

He recalled that unfinished roadways are among potential sources of fatalities. There are dozens of development plans in Tehran and other major cities that are either on or remain unfinished due to mismanagement and lack of funds.

The increasing number of motorcycles in the metropolises and the undermanned Traffic Police force are other factors contributing to the high mortality rate by Jamalinejad.

Despite the fact that motorcycles account for barely 6% of the daily transport in Tehran, the two-wheelers have become a dilemma the urban authorities must tackle.

Some 2.5 million carburetor-equipped motorcycles ply the capital’s almost permanently clogged roads. Since they are not equipped with catalyst converters and release toxic fumes directly into the environment, the amount of pollutants each motorbike spews into the air equals that of eight cars with Euro 3 emission standards. The added problem is that the bikes are fuel-intensive.

As if this was not bad enough, the outdated motorbikes are the number one culprits in creating noise pollution. It is estimated that in Tehran alone motorbikes have a 25% share in air pollution and cause almost half the noise pollution in and around the city of 12 million people.